Case Law - Key Precedents

Here are some key court cases setting precedents on issues related to congressional oversight.

Supreme Court

Trump v. Mazars USA, LLP, 591 U.S. __, 140 S. Ct. 2019 (2020)

Trump v. Vance, 591 U.S. __, 140 S. Ct. 2412 (2020)

Clinton v. Jones, 520 U.S. 681 (1997)

Eastland v. United States Servicemen’s Fund, 421 U.S. 491 (1975)

United States v. Nixon, 418 U.S. 683 (1974)

Doe v. McMillan, 412 U.S. 306 (1973)

Gravel v. United States, 408 U.S. 606 (1972)

McPhaul v. United States, 364 U.S. 372 (1960)

Barenblatt v. United States, 360 U.S. 109 (1959)

Watkins v. United States, 354 U.S. 178 (1957)

Quinn v. United States, 349 U.S. 155 (1955)

United States v. Rumely, 345 U.S. 41  (1953)

Sinclair v. United States, 279 U.S. 263 (1929)

McGrain v. Daugherty, 273 U.S. 135 (1927)

Marshall v. Gordon, 243 U.S. 521 (1917)

Kilbourn v. Thompson, 103 U.S. 168 (1880)

Anderson v. Dunn, 19 U.S. 2014 (1821)

Circuit Courts of Appeal

Comm. on the Judiciary, U.S. House of Representatives v. McGahn, 968 F. 3d 755 (D.C. Cir. 2020) (en banc)

Blumenthal v. Trump, 949 F. 3d 14 (D.C. Cir. 2020)

United States v. Brown, 571 F. 3d 492 (5th Cir. 2009)

In Re Sealed Case (Espy), 121 F. 3d 729 (D.C. Cir. 1997)

United States v. Dean, 55 F. 3d 640 (D.C. Cir. 1995)

In re Application of United States Permanent Subcomm. on Investigations (Cammisano), 655 F. 2d 1232 (D.C. Cir. 1981)

Murphy v. Dep’t of the Army, 613 F. 2d 1151 (D.C. Cir. 1979)

Exxon Corp. v. F.T.C., 589 F. 2d 582 (D.C. Cir. 1978)

United States v. A.T.&T., 567 F. 2d 121 (D.C. Cir. 1977)

Ashland Oil v. F.T.C., 548 F. 2d 977 (D.C. Cir. 1976)

McSurely v. McClellan, 521 F. 2d 1024 (D.C. Cir. 1975)

Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities v. Nixon, 498 F. 2d 725 (D.C. Cir. 1974)

Townsend v. United States, 95 F. 2d 352 (D.C. Cir. 1938), cert. denied, 303 U.S. 665 (1938)

District Court

Bean LLC v. John Doe Bank, 291 F. Supp. 3d 34 (D.C.C. 2018)

Comm. on Oversight & Gov’t Reform, United States House of Representatives v. Sessions, 344 F. Supp. 3d 1 (D.D.C. 2018)

Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations v. Ferrer, 199 F. Supp. 3d 125 (D.D.C. 2016), vacated as moot sub nom. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations v. Ferrer, 856 F. 3d 1080 (D.C. Cir. 2017)

Comm. on Judiciary, United States House of Representatives v. Miers, 558 F. Supp. 2d 53 (D.D.C. 2008)

Senate Select Committee on Ethics v. Packwood, 845 F. Supp. 17 (D.D.C. 1994)

United States v. House of Representatives of the United States, 556 F. Supp. 150 (D.D.C. 1983)

United States v. Icardi, 140 F. Supp. 383 (D.D.C. 1956)